“Life is a fatal adventure. It can only have one end.” – Our September Camping Trips 2020 & 2022

Dear Isaa, Maia and Virtual Wanderers,

Each September, we pack up the car and go on a camping trip to celebrate the anniversary of my DNP graduation. In catching up on my blog from the 2022 adventures, I realized I had never blogged about our 2020 September DNP trip. Both are significant because they were the last camping trips for my sweet chi dogs.

Chaco Fall 2020: Maizzy’s Last Camping Trip

September 2020 seems a lifetime ago at the moment, but I know it was different because of the COVID epidemic. Hovenweep was closed – and that is where we always go. So, we went to Navajo Lake in southern CO instead. It was a good trip, but Maizzy was deaf and lame. She had lost a lot of weight due to some GI issues, too. But, she still enjoyed cuddling in the sleeping bag. It turned out to be her last camping trip, so I want to post a few photos befoe I talk about 2022.

Maizzy, Sazi, and Kachina hiking in the ruins fall 2020

We went to Chaco Canyon, Salmon Ruin and Aztec Ruin on our days there. It was a drive, but Chaco is a special, spiritual place and we don’t get down here that often. So, if you can’t do Hovenweep . . . do Chaco. And, visa versa. Both are phenomenal ancient Puebloan sites of the four corners. The bumpy road to Chaco definitely set off my positional vertigo the next week, though.

Hovenweep Fall 2022: Sazi’s Last Camping Trip

Kachina, Moki, and Sazi at Hovenweep, Fall 2022

September 2022 seemed ordinary enough. Sazi was aging, but I had no idea that this would be her last camping trip. She still had so much spirit! The only weird thing about the 2022 trip was this huge monsoon that was supposed to descend on us the 3rd day. Well, I am retired so who cares if we have to spend an extra day – which we did.

Sazi in her doggles at Hovenweep, fall 2022

On the first day, we hiked the rim and I did a video narration of the rim walk, which is below. It took all morning, then we returned to the campsite for lunch and to wait for the heat to pass. Hovenweep is a fun slick rock rim hike with a lot of ruins to see – please take a peak at the video. It documents our day.

The second day, the storm was supposed to descend on us by the afternoon. So, instead of our usual hike to Horseshoe Ruins, we visited the Cajon site. This is a short hike that has some spectacular ruins – I have a video link at the bottom that walks you through the site – please take a couple minutes to walk the path with us. After this, we returned to the campsite and waited for the rain.

The third day, the rain came in the morning but didn’t last too long. We hung close to the tent but got a short hike to the visitor’s center in that evening. The potholes were filled with water and it was cool.

Sazi, still hiking and staying strong despite degenerative changes to her spine, fall 2022.

The fourth day, we actually hiked the rim, again. I wanted to see it with the wet potholes.

Washed out path at Hovenweep rim trail, fall 2022.

As I write this on 3/29/23, less than two weeks since Sazi crossed the Rainbow Bridge, the photos still make me a little sad. I had no idea she would die from her spinal disease because she was still such a spitfire otherwise. Maizzy was more predictable. Or, maybe my heart has just had more time to heal. Going forward, our September trips will not just commemorate my graduation, but also my sweet angel girls.